Diandra Interviews Uptown Boyband: Making BAG$, Including EVERYONE

Do I love Uptown Boyband? Why yes I do! They are unique. ambitious, and have a solid foundation in music style and friendship. When you hear their music or see their videos, you can’t help but feel like you are a their fourth band-member, which makes them exciting. While there are many boybands I love, I cannot say they make me feel cool or included enough to imagine myself doo-wopping in their backdrop. Yet, it is that feeling that Uptown Boyband wish to give the world and see as a key to their rise and, as you read on, their responses.

Diandra: You have been dubbed an “alternative K-pop band” what does “alternative,” as a label, mean to you and do you think it fits your style?

Justin Trash: Alternative as a label means that we are trying to break boundaries and reach for goals, maybe, a regular K-pop group may not. When we say we are an alternative K-pop boyband, we mean we are bringing the punk era to K-pop.

UPTOWN BOYBAND – BAG$ (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Diandra: You have said, “we have a Korean background but we live a Canadian lifestyle. We want to be the bridge that helps close that gap.” What do you feel that gap is and how has your music helped you to describe and fill it for yourselves?

Joe Rascal: I feel the gap was not being comfortable with ourselves. Being from a Korean-Canadian background, growing up, we felt misunderstood and misrepresented because of the way we looked, on both our Asian side and our Western side. Our music has made us more comfortable with who we are and now we feel like we can fully express ourselves.

Diandra: You have said you want to be role models. What do you feel is the responsibility of a role model, and do you think it something that people can avoid?

Roc Lee: I believe, as role models, we have a responsibility to inspire the youth and proudly be someone that the younger generation can look up to. Especially as Korean-Canadians, growing up in Toronto, we did not have a lot of role models to look up to, so we want to be that for those coming up after us.

Diandra: You all have been friends for a while. How do you feel your friendship trickles into the music? What are your favorite personality traits, of each other, that definitely go into your song and style?

Justin Trash: Our friendship gives us this level of energy that trickles into our music. On top of that, we all have different “personas” that define us really well. Roc Lee is the Pretty Boy and really into fashion and sounding as good as he looks. Joe Rascal goes by Lover Boy because he’s a gentleman who brings such a romantic influence to our music. Meanwhile, Justin Trash is the Bad Boy because he brings some of the harder sounds to our music, and, although he looks intimidating, inside he is really a big softie.

UPTOWN BOYBAND – READ MY MIND (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Diandra: In tracks like, ““BAG$,” you show how things, especially expensive ones, reflect strong emotions. What is your favorite item and what emotion does it express to you?

Joe Rascal: The song BAG$ represents our collective desire as a group to be successful, expressed through a playful manner. In one way, success, to us, would be the ability to buy a designer item without even looking at the price tag, whether the item is for us or for a loved one. There’s something to say about not looking at the price tag, which to us seems so freeing. We love designer clothes and accessories in general, and this was our ode to one day being able to buy some of those things without stretching our wallets

Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory of music? 

Roc Lee: My favorite childhood memory of music was listening to early K-pop music with my family while going on road trips together. I remember listening to early K-pop groups like H.O.T. and 1TYM in the car with my family, and those are some of my favourite artists, who still inspire me today.

Diandra: What are your favorite Korean films? Why and would you ever do a song based on the film?

Justin Trash: I enjoy The Wailing, Old Boy, I Saw The Devil, The Outlaws, and many more Korean films! We include references of our favourite films, whether it’s through our visuals or our lyrics, because Korean films have had such a huge impact in feeling connected to our culture.

UPTOWN BOYBAND – KULT FREESTYLE (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Diandra: You have called yourself “obnoxious”? What is the most obnoxious thing you have done that even made your parents say, “What?”

Joe Rascal: My name comes from me being a Rascal as a kid. I poured cooking oil on my mother’s piano which made her kick my @$$. Is that obnoxious? (Lol)

Me: Yes, Joe Rascal that is very obnoxious, and I support your mother’s reaction. (lol!)

Diandra: You have said K-pop can be very cultish, in terms of its fan groups.

Roc Lee: We believe all K-pop fandoms are amazing in the way they support their favourite artists, they’re unlike any other kinds of music fans.

Diandra: You feel very strategic and purposeful in how you create and market your art. Do you feel there is a strategy to achieving fame and, if so, what would it be?

Justin Trash: We couldn’t tell you what the strategy to fame is because we don’t really have the answer ourselves. What we do believe in, is making personal connections with the people that take time out of their days to help support UBB’s music. It’s important that we have these connections because without our growing fan club none of this would be possible.

Diandra: Going along with this question, what do you hope will be the ultimate purpose and message of Uptown Boyband to the world?

Joe Rascal: To create a huge community that brings people who share the love of music together. To create enjoyment and entertainment for our fans, and to hopefully help shine a light on important issues in our world. 

UPTOWN BOYBAND – ROLLER GIRL (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Diandra: With your debut called, CLUB UBB, if you actually owned a nightclub. What would it be like: from design to theme?

Roc Lee: Great question. Club UBB would offer an interactive experience with its guests. An experience that takes them on a journey through our music and visuals, in a collaborative way. A flexible atmosphere that can change its shape with the music, while also providing our favourite Korean food and drinks.

Me: I WANT TO GO THERE!

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